Blind horse needs shelter, meet him Sept. 16

Far right, Mona Jerome of Ever After Mustang Rescue explains why Jazz, right, needs a permanent shelter where he can live and graze. Since he’s blind, he can’t graze in the larger fields and every day needs to be led out of and back to his stall. A special friend, a mule named Grant, has watched over Jazz since he was first surrendered to the rescue in the early 2000s. (Molly Lovell-Keely photos) For about a week on Facebook, Mona Jerome of Ever After Mustang Rescue in Biddeford, slowly revealed the special story of a horse in her care named Jazz, a 19-year-old horse surrendered to the rescue years ago.

Jazz’s secret, which Mona has kept until now, is that he’s totally blind.

Ever After will hold an open house 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16 for the public to meet Jazz and hopefully raise money to build Jazz a permanent shelter.

A video on the Ever After Mustang Facebook page shows a volunteer guiding Jazz from his stall to an outdoor area. In the evening he’s brought back. Sometimes Jazz hits his head. Other times transporting him to an unfamiliar area can be upsetting to him. A new shelter, estimated to cost between $6,000 and $7,000, would mean Jazz would have a safe place to live out the rest of his life.

“He didn’t go blind right away,” Jerome said, adding that his behavior and hesitance to go under saddle indicated that something was wrong. “When we realized he was going blind, a mule named Grant stepped in to be a very special friend to Jazz.”

Grant guides Jazz and sticks by his side.

“Animals are incredible,” Jerome said, adding that Grant will live in the new shelter with Jazz. “You never isolate a horse.”

“I couldn’t separate them,” she added. “Grant feels an obligation to Jazz. It’s a very special job.”